The following is a direct script of a teaching that is intended to be presented via video, incorporating relevant text, slides, media, and graphics to assist in illustration, thus facilitating the presentation of the material. In some places, this may cause the written material to not flow or sound rather awkward in some places. In addition, there may be grammatical errors that are often not acceptable in literary work. We encourage the viewing of the video teachings to complement the written teaching you see below. Comfortable Everyone wants to be comfortable; in fact, it s something we seem to crave. Yet, comfortable is not what our Creator calls us to be. We aren t meaning that one shouldn t wear comfortable clothes, comfortable shoes, or have the ambient temperature be comfortable. We are talking about our state of being in our walk and lives with the Creator and as emissaries of the one whose Name we claim. Comfortable can be defined as: being in a state of physical or mental comfort; contented and undisturbed; at ease: ("comfortable." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 28 Sep. 2015. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/comfortable>.) When we are comfortable then we become complacent; in other words, we become satisfied with where we are currently with no desire to continue to grow. Being in a state of complacency leaves us vulnerable to pride or a false sense of security; certain that all is well and that nothing further needs doing. When we are comfortable and complacent we see no reason to stretch ourselves because we re good as we are with no need for, or little, improvement. Yet many times we are instructed to continue to grow or increase in our knowledge and understanding of the Creator. Here are but a few of those times we re told that: Ephesians 4:15 (ESV) Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ Colossians 1:10 (ESV) so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 1 Thessalonians 4:10 (ESV) for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more,
Hebrews 6:1 (ESV) Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God 2 Peter 3:18 (ESV) But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior (Yeshua HaMashiach) Jesus Christ. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (ESV) Hear, O Israel: YHWH our God, YHWH is one. You shall love YHWH your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. If we aren t growing, we re stagnant and at risk for becoming complacent. When we are comfortable in our bible knowledge and our daily life, how often do we step out in faith? How much do we take a stand for what we believe in and walk with God as Abraham walked? If we re being honest, it s probably not very often. That just isn t our nature. If it was natural for us to live outside of our comfort zone, we would not need constant encouragement from our Creator and reminders that we need not be afraid. Think about Joshua; he takes over for Moses in leading the people of Israel. He has been witness to the miraculous as he has grown up under Moses, yet still we see the Father encouraging him to be strong and courageous, to not fear. Joshua 1:6-9 (ESV) Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for (YHWH) the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. There are many examples of people being called out from the comfort of their daily lives to do great things for the Father. Read, study, and consider some other examples of people being called out: Moses was reluctant to follow the Creator, comfortable in his life as a shepherd and not having to lead or to speak to people. Yet, through Him YHWH saved Israel as described starting in Exodus 3. Gideon the youngest man in the smallest clan of the weakest tribe saves Israel in Judges 6 8.
Abraham left a comfortable life to go where the Creator called Him to as told in Genesis, starting in Chapter 12. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were over the affairs of the province of Babylon and they stepped out of their life of comfort to make a stand for the Creator. When we get comfortable we risk becoming complacent; yet that isn t the worst thing. Worse than complacency is becoming lazy and unwilling to do what is required of us. We can come up with a thousand excuses not to leave our comfort zone; even Moses tried to stay put and all he ended up doing was angering YHWH. Listen to how many times Moses says (or argues) with But or another indication of arguing a point with an excuse: Exodus 3:11 (ESV) But Moses said to God, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt? Exodus 4:1 (ESV) Then Moses answered, But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, (YHWH) YHWH did not appear to you. Exodus 4:10 (ESV) But Moses said to (YHWH) the LORD, Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue. Exodus 4:13 (ESV) But he said, Oh, my Lord, please send someone else. Then we see YHWH angered by Moses continued reluctance Exodus 4:14 (ESV) Then the anger of (YHWH) the LORD was kindled against Moses YHWH doesn t want us to be comfortable if it s going to cause us to be defiant, or unwilling to go with Him. Look at the children of Israel when YHWH brought them out of Egypt. They cried out for deliverance from their oppression. As bad as things were for them in Egypt, it was comfortable because it was what they knew. So during the process of their deliverance, things got uncomfortable for them; life got hard and the unknown was a bit scary. So what did they do? They became complainers. Yes, some of their complaints may seem justifiable, but that doesn t make them pleasing to the Creator. Exodus 5:20-21 (ESV) They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; and they said to them, (YHWH) The LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.
Exodus 14:10-12 (ESV) When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to (YHWH) the LORD. They said to Moses, Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. Exodus 16:2-3 (ESV) And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, Would that we had died by the hand of (YHWH) the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger. Exodus 17:2-3 (ESV) Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, Give us water to drink. And Moses said to them, Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test (YHWH) the LORD? But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst? In all of these cases YHWH continued to provide for them, yet even His patience had, and still has, its limits. Watch how He responds to their continued complaining about the miraculous manna and the people s fleshly desires for meat. Numbers 11:1-6 (ESV) And the people complained in the hearing of (YHWH) the LORD about their misfortunes, and when (YHWH) the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of (YHWH) the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to (YHWH) the LORD, and the fire died down. So the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of (YHWH) the LORD burned among them. Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, Oh that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at. Numbers 11:31-33 (ESV) Then a wind from (YHWH) the LORD sprang up, and it brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the ground. And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail. Those who gathered least gathered ten homer. And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of (YHWH) the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD struck down the people with a very great plague. They longed for the comforts of Egypt, the fresh fruits, the meats and breads, etc. They would rather have died while still in Egypt than be uncomfortable for a season. Does this sound familiar?
Would you rather sit back and relax as the world goes on turning than make a difference? It s easy to stay where we are, to be good enough by reading our Torah Portion each week and maybe reading Psalms or a Proverb every day. It s easy to say a little prayer every day, giving Yahweh a laundry list of our problems or giving superficial thanks for another day of living. Or to say a prayer before bedtime or to repeat the same words when giving thanks for our food. These are all things many of us do daily, they re comfortable. Yet, do they help us to grow deeper in our relationship with Him? Have we become complacent because of our routines? Maybe it s time for us to shake things up a bit, to get a bit UNcomfortable. UNcomfortable is changing up our routine. UNcomfortable is taking time away from our favorite television shows and talking to our children about the Word. UNcomfortable is spending time in prayer with the Creator seeking a dialogue (a 2-way conversation), not just a monologue of us talking to Him. What s hard is taking a step out to do something different; something that feels uncomfortable, especially at first. One of the most difficult things of all is to take the time to develop a deep relationship with our Creator, because it requires effort. The development of a basic relationship isn t what is hard; what requires the effort is developing depth in our relationships. It requires us to do something more than we ve always done; it may require us to go somewhere we ve never been. We may even have to Now listen closely here, you may need to sit down if you re not already Are you ready? We may just have to live our lives differently than those around us, different from our families and our friends, different from the ways of society, different from what we re used to. We just may have to stand out. We haven t been called to be the same, we ve been called to be holy, a set apart people. Remember what Paul said in his letter to the Romans? Romans 12:1-2 (CJB) I exhort you, therefore, brothers, in view of God s mercies, to offer yourselves as a sacrifice, living and set apart for God. This will please him; it is the logical Temple worship for you. In other words, do not let yourselves be conformed to the standards of the (world) olam hazeh. Instead, keep letting yourselves be transformed by the renewing of your minds; so that you will know what God wants and will agree that what he wants is good, satisfying and able to succeed.
Are you living obedient to the Word? If so, that s awesome! Now how are you going deeper? Obedience to the Torah, living set apart to the extent that we are able to today, is a fantastic step one, but it s still step one. So, what is step two? Step two is learning not to be complacent, satisfied with where your walk is. Step two is about going deeper with our Creator. We cannot go deeper if we are not DOING something. We are not called to be complacent; we are not called to do nothing but what we already do daily. A newborn can only live off of the milk for so long before they can no longer get all that they need from it. They then require solid food. 1 Corinthians 3:2 (ESV) I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, and Hebrews 5:12 (ESV) For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, For more on the oracles of God, please see our teaching titled, The Oracles of God. It is no different with us and our walk with the Creator. We first need the milk or the basic precepts and teachings found in the Torah before we can move on to the deeper solid food that comes with spiritual maturity. In order to continue maturing spiritually we cannot afford to become comfortable and complacent in our lives. James 1:22-24 (ESV) But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. Make a concerted effort to spend time studying His Word. Instead of simply reading your Bible, try adding in a word study. Find out the culture and the context of a specific word, where it comes from and how it s used today versus how it was used at the time Scripture was written. Ask the Father to reveal His deeper truths with you as you read; He tells us if we seek, then we will find; ask and it will be given. He is faithful to keep watch over His Word to perform it! Also, spend time alone in prayer, but not just giving a laundry list of wants or desires. Ask Him what He desires of you, then spend time listening for a response.
He may give it in a prayer as you meditate on His Word, He may provide an answer in a conversation with others, or He may answer you directly while in prayer with Him. He can use any means He desires; He is not limited to just what we have listed or can think of. Sometimes when we spend time teaching or discussing Scripture with our children, or others, the Father may reveal some new truth or insight to us. So, it s important that we discuss His Word with others as well as teaching it to our children. If we do not teach our children His ways, then the world will teach them its ways. The important thing here is to spend time with His Word just as stated in the Shema that we read earlier. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (ESV) Hear, O Israel: (YHWH) the LORD our God, (YHWH) the LORD is one. You shall love (YHWH) the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. These are just a few ideas to help get you started going deeper and truly seeking a more intimate relationship with the Father. As the end of days approaches we are called to be a light unto the world. What kind of light are you shining, that of a small flame that can barely penetrate the darkness around it, or are you a beacon blazing bright by the life you lead. Are you comfortable in your walk and relationship with the Creator? Do you find yourself grumbling about having to read Scripture? Are you digging deep into His Word searching out the meat or are you happy staying on the surface and just reading the literal words on the page? At the beginning of this message we stated that we weren t talking about wearing comfortable clothes, yet we have been, spiritually speaking. We are at war against an unseen foe. We are to wear the armor of God. Armor is not comfortable, it s hot. It s heavy. It isn t designed to be comfortable; its purpose is to protect the wearer. We need to be uncomfortable and ready to wage war against the unseen adversary instead of relaxed at home, on the couch, wearing our comfy clothes. A final thought to consider on the topic of comfort and being willing to step out of our box. It could be agreed by most that our Messiah went through at least one period of extreme discomfort, one that even caused him to sweat blood, literally, while in prayer. Luke 22:44 (ESV) And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. At this point in Scripture, Messiah is in the Garden of Gethsemane praying that His sacrifice could pass from Him. He knew what was coming to Him and He really wanted no part of it. He was so far out of His comfort zone at this point, His stress level was maxed out most likely leading to capillaries in His body bursting causing Him to sweat blood, a condition called hematohidrosis.
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc2810702/) Yet despite this extreme level of discomfort what does Messiah do? He stayed in prayer as long as He could and then followed through with His Father s will. Messiah is our example of how to live, as such we should take note of His actions when under the most extreme level of discomfort. When you get uncomfortable, get closer to the Father and He will provide the strength to do His will. Pray for the opportunity to be used by your Creator. Find your comfort level and then take another step beyond it to stretch yourself; step into His box instead of your own. We will never get to where we are going if we are comfortable staying where we are. Live a life set apart. We pray that this message has blessed you. Remember, continue to test everything. Shalom! For more on this and other teachings, please visit us at www.testeverything.net Shalom, and may Yahweh bless you in walking in the whole Word of God. EMAIL: Info@119ministries.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/119ministries WEBSITE: www.testeverything.net & www.examinalotodo.net TWITTER: www.twitter.com/119ministries#